Referencing the warmth of the winter sun, Apricity by Australian-based Casus Creations is a shining example of how the medium of circus can illuminate the human experience.
Our cast of five were mostly dressed in shades of brown and neutrals, possibly showing our dependency on Mother Earth, and how this connects us to each other.
The Ukiyo is a suitably intimate venue for the work. Its raised benches ensured the audience had a good view of the company’s fluid movements in formation, and the novel and slinky transitions used in detailed gymnastic sequences. Often these showcased amazing levels of strength and control.
The work’s musical score ranged from contemplative strings to trancey electronic loops as an earth-bound performer circled in a blissful state, reminiscent of a Whirling Dervish. The effect could approach the hypnotic at times.
The connection between the action and the show’s description became a little murky as performers crossed an array of electrical globes. However, the following sleight of hand with light gave us an unexpectedly comical interlude.
With routines of varying tempos, the ensemble constantly gave us something different to look at. Whether employing various apparatus or balancing upon each other, scenes regularly held surprises.
The frequent changes across dimensions and axes make the work quite difficult to describe, so maybe Apricity is to Circus what Jazz is to Music. We had an experience so full of detail that we are more likely to retain an overall feeling of the show than we are the fleeting scenes which comprise it.
Part of that overall impression is the apparent glee of performers going about their work, supporting and guiding each other into position, drawing strength from each other for the common goal, or progressing a child-like game.
Although there is a lot of subtlety to the piece, there were also some explosive highlights. A rope sequence involving the ensemble showed surprising variations.
As the RPMs increased, the stillness of a horizontal man being whizzed around as perspiration flew off him made for a striking image. We might expect that a routine of such power and sustained form would fit well in a show like La Soiree.
At the time of writing, the first three shows sold out in this very short season. Maybe punters will have the good fortune to see Apricity adding its glow to future festivals.
Apricity
The Ukiyo – So Soiree Fringe Garden, Grattan Gardens, Prahran
Performance: Saturday 19 October 2024
Information: www.casuscreations.com
Image: Casus Creations present Apricity – photo by Rob Blackburn
Review: Jason Whyte